Apparatus and method for preventing moisture accumulation

ABSTRACT

According to one embodiment of the invention, a flashing is adapted for installation to protect a ledger board from environmental conditions. The flashing comprises an insertion lip, a support section, a base section and an extension section. The support section coupled to the insertion lip. The base section is coupled to the support section and is substantially in parallel with the insertion lip. The extension section is coupled to the base section and includes a first part and a drip edge. The drip edge includes a kick extending away from the first part and a hem extending from an edge portion of the kick back toward a rear surface of the extension section.

This application claims the benefit of priority on U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/818,459 filed Jul. 5, 2006, and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/818,451 filed Jul. 5, 2006.

FIELD

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to an apparatus andmethod for preventing moisture accumulation. In particular, according toone embodiment of the invention, the apparatus constitutes flashing thatprovides an effective moisture barrier surrounding a ledger board.

GENERAL BACKGROUND

Over the last few years, exterior areas surrounding both residential andcommercial properties are beginning to be reconfigured in order tobetter utilize outdoor living space. For instance, in many citiesthroughout our nation, many residences feature decks that provide theirresidents additional living space for gatherings and other familyactivities. Furthermore, many residences feature patio covers thatprovide shade during warm summer months and shelter during wintermonths.

Currently, there are two installation techniques for decks and patiocovers. The first installation technique is to build a deck or patiocover that is freestanding. In other words, the deck or patio cover isnot attached to an exterior wall of an existing structure such asresidential property for example. The second installation techniqueattaches the deck or patio cover to the exterior wall. These decks andpatio covers have the advantage of not requiring any additional supportbeams or additional footings running next to the structure in order tosupport the edges of the joists.

When installed correctly, decks and/or patio covers feature flashings,namely thin layers of waterproof material designed to divert water andto prevent water (or moisture) from being trapped between a ledger boardand the exterior wall of the structure. The “ledger board” is a boardattached to both a row of studs of an existing structure and to aplurality of joists, which are horizontal members that support a floorof a deck or a roof of a patio cover. If water should accumulate betweenthe ledger board and the exterior wall, the structural integrity of thedeck or patio cover may be compromised.

Currently, flashing sold in the marketplace does not effectively preventwater from seeping and accumulating between the ledger board and theexterior wall. This allows water to become trapped near the hardwarefastening a joist to the ledger board and also around the ledger boarditself. In fact, current flashing suffers from a number ofdisadvantages. For instance, flashing is currently secured to anexterior surface of a wall by caulk or other type of adhesive. Overtime, this adhesive tends to deteriorate and does not adhere properly toan outer surface of the exterior wall. Also, fastening holes aresusceptible to water. As a result, over time, water may seep between thebackside of the flashing and the outer surface of the exterior wall. Inaddition, current flashing fails to sufficiently divert water away fromthe fastening hardware between the joist and the ledger board. This maycause deterioration of fasteners connected to the ledger board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by referring to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrateembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative embodiment of a deck implemented with anembodiment of a wall-to-ledger flashing.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a first illustrative embodiment of thewall-to-ledger flashing of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are another illustrative embodiment of thewall-to-ledger flashing of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are yet another illustrative embodiment of thewall-to-ledger flashing of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4C and 4D are another illustrative embodiment of thewall-to-ledger flashing of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an illustrative embodiment of a deck implemented with anembodiment of a wall-to-plank flashing.

FIG. 6 is a first illustrative embodiment of the wall-to-plank flashingof FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is another illustrative embodiment of the wall-to-plank flashingof FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is yet another illustrative embodiment of the wall-to-plankflashing of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are illustrative embodiment of a bay window flashing.

FIG. 10 is an illustrative embodiment of the operations performed toinstall a flashing, such as a wall-to-ledger flashing of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention may best be understood by referring to thedescription and accompanying drawings set forth herein. In general,according to one embodiment of the invention, a flashing has beendeveloped to provide an effective moisture barrier to prevent water fromaccumulating (i) between an exterior wall of a structure and a ledgerboard and/or (ii) around fastening hardware where a joist is coupled tothe ledger board.

As described below, according to one embodiment of the invention, theflashing comprises an insertion lip, a base section, a support sectionand an extension section. The insertion lip is designed to attach to anexterior wall of the structure at a predetermined distance above thebase section. This predetermined distance is substantially equal to awidth of the support section, which is positioned substantially flushagainst an outer surface of the exterior wall. A first portion of thebase section is positioned on a top-side surface of the ledger boardwhile a second portion of the base section extends beyond the width ofthe top-side surface. This creates an air gap between an interiorsurface of the extension section and a front surface of the ledgerboard.

The extension section of the flashing is adapted to cover the ledgerboard and to divert water away from the fastening hardwareinterconnecting the ledger board and one or more joists. The extensionsection includes a drip edge formed by (i) a first portion, referred toas a “kick,” that extends away from the front surface of the ledgerboard and (ii) a second portion, referred to as a “hem,” that returnsthe edge of the extension section back toward the front surface of theledger board and a back side of the kick. This newly created structurefor the flashing not only prevents moisture from being trapped within anarea between an outer surface of the exterior wall and a back surface ofthe ledger board, but also protects the fastening hardware that couplesthe joist to the ledger board.

A. Wall-to-Ledger Flashing

Referring to FIG. 1, an illustrative embodiment of a deck 100implemented with an embodiment of a wall-to-ledger flashing 110 isshown. Herein, flashing 110 is attached to an exterior wall 120 of astructure and positioned to divert water from a ledger board 130 alsoattached to exterior wall 120. According to this embodiment of theinvention, flashing 110 is made of a non-porous material such as a metal(e.g. stainless steel, copper, plastic, etc.), plastic, water-resistanttreated Styrofoam™, and the like. For pressure-treated wood, cooper oraluminum may be the metal of choice.

According to this embodiment of the invention, a plurality of joists 140₁-140 _(N) (N≧2) are attached to ledger board 130 in order to support aplurality of plank boards 150 ₁-150 _(M) (M≧2). Of course, according toanother embodiment of the invention such as a patio cover for example,ledger board 130 is positioned substantially higher along exterior wall120 and joists 140 ₁-140 _(N) may be used as slats for a patio cover oras support for additional boards forming the roof.

Herein, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, an insertion lip 200 of flashing110 is placed within a pre-cut groove 160 along an outer surface 170 ofexterior wall 120. Flashing 110 is placed over a top surface 135 ofledger board 130 that is attached to studs 125 located behind exteriorwall 120 through selected fastening elements 180 (e.g., screws, bolts,etc.). As shown, deck 100 further includes joists 140 ₁-140 _(N) thatare positioned substantially perpendicular to ledger board 130 in orderto support plank boards 150 ₁-150 _(M) placed substantially in parallelwith ledger board 130 and substantially perpendicular to joists 140₁-140 _(N). According to one embodiment of the invention, although notshown, plank boards 150 ₁-150 _(M) are positioned below base section 220of flashing 110 and substantially adjacent to an extension section 230as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. It is contemplated, however, that byraising joists 140 ₁-140 _(N) closer to top surface 135 of ledger board130 and increasing the distance of separation between extension section230 and ledger board 130, plank boards 150 ₁-150 _(M) can be arranged tobe substantially planar to base section 220 of flashing 110.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a first illustrative embodiment offlashing 110 is shown. Herein, flashing 110 comprises insertion lip 200that is positioned within groove 160 placed along outer surface 170 ofexterior wall 120. As an example, insertion lip 200 may be configured torange in length between ¼″ to ¾″, where the selected length is based onthe roughness of outer surface 170 (size of lip 200 increases based onroughness of outer surface 170). Insertion lip 200 is continuous withand substantially perpendicular to a first flashing section 210(hereinafter referred to as the “support section” 210).

Support section 210 of flashing 110 extends upward in a substantiallyvertical orientation and is positioned to be generally flush againstouter surface 170 of exterior wall 120 when insertion lip 200 isinserted into and securely retained within groove 160. According to oneembodiment of the invention, the length of support section 210 is set tobe approximately 1.5 inches (represented as 1.5″) above top surface 135of ledger board 130 in order to accommodate a typical distance betweenan outer edge of a sole plate of a circular saw and the saw blade usedto kerf groove 160 along outer surface 170 of exterior wall 120.

A second flashing segment (hereinafter referred to as the “base section”220) is continuous with and substantially perpendicular to supportsection 210 of flashing 110. Base section 220 is arranged so that afirst portion 222 is generally flush against top surface 135 of ledgerboard 130 and a second portion 224 continues to extend outwardly fromledger board 130. Collectively, first and second portions 222 and 224 ofbase section 220 exceed the width of top surface 135 of ledger board130. For instance, base section 220 may be 1.75″ or greater in length,exceeding the width of top surface 135 of ledger board 130. Morespecifically, second portion 224 of base section 220 extends beyond topsurface 135, and thus, creates a gap 240 between a third flashingsegment 230 (hereinafter referred to as the “extension section” 230 offlashing 110) and a front surface 137 of ledger board 130.

Extension section 230 of flashing 100 includes a first part 245 and dripedge 250 formed by (i) a first portion 260, referred to as a “kick,”that extends away from front surface 137 of ledger board 130 and (ii) asecond portion 265, referred to as a “hem,” that returns an edge 235 ofextension section 230 back toward front surface 137 of ledger board 130.According to this embodiment of the invention, separated from first part245 by a crease, kick 260 and hem 265 operate as drip edge 250 in orderto properly expel water (moisture) from atmospheric conditions any waterflowing to extension section 230 from base section 220 of flashing 110.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a second embodiment of flashing 110 isshown. Herein, base section 220 of flashing 110 is angled in order toallow water to be more easily expelled from outer surface 170 ofexterior wall 120. This is advantageous for climates with a fair amountof rain and/or condensation (dew). The sloping angle θ 300 of basesection 220 can be set to approximately 1 or 2 degrees, namely slopeangle 300 could be based on a slope gradient between ⅛″ per foot up to⅜″ per foot. It is contemplated, however, that greater sloping anglesmay be utilized in order to accommodate better moisture removal fromouter surface 170 of exterior wall 120. In addition, air gap 240 betweenextension section 230 of flashing 110 and front surface 137 of ledgerboard 130 allows air circulation which keeps ledger board 130 drier andbetter maintains its integrity and the integrity of the fasteninghardware connecting ledger board 130 to exterior wall 120.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, another illustrative embodiment offlashing 110 is shown. In lieu of straight edges formed betweenperpendicular-oriented support/base sections 210 and 220 andbase/extension sections 220 and 230, it is contemplated that flashing110 may be configured with a bull-nose design. This “bull-nose” designfeatures a softened, generally concave edge 400 at an intersectionbetween support/base sections 210 and 220 and a generally convex edge410 at an intersection between base/extension sections 220 and 230.According to one embodiment of the invention, the bend radiuses are ¼″or ⅜″ in length.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, another embodiment of flashing110 is illustrated. Herein, base section 220 features a convex formfactor that extends from an edge 440 of support section 210 positionedabove ledger board 130. In general, curved base section 220 comes intocontact with a front edge 450 of ledger board 130 near top surface 135.It is noted that, as shown in FIG. 4D, ledger board 130 may feature anangled cut 460 at front edge 450 to better support curved base section220. Curved base section 220 extends approximately 1¾ inches verticallyfrom an edge 470 of kick 260 to edge 440 so as to divert water fromledger board 130.

B. Wall-to-Plank Flashing

Referring to FIG. 5, an illustrative embodiment of a deck 500implemented with an embodiment of a wall-to-plank flashing 510 is shown.Herein, flashing 510 is attached to an exterior wall 520 of a structureand positioned to divert water from an area at the intersection betweena board 530 and exterior wall 520. According to this embodiment of theinvention, a plurality of joists 540 ₁-540 _(N) (N≧2) are attached to aledger board 550 that supports board 530. For this embodiment, board 530is one of a plurality of plank boards forming deck 500. Of course,according to another embodiment of the invention such as a patio coverfor example, ledger board 550 supports board 530, which is part of theroofing for a patio cover.

Herein, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an insertion lip 600 of flashing 510is placed within a pre-cut groove 560 along an outer surface 570 ofexterior wall 520. Flashing 510 is placed over a top surface 535 ofboard 530 that is attached to ledger board 550, which is attached tostuds (not shown) located behind exterior wall 520. This attachment maybe through a fastening element such as a screw, bolt, nail, peg, or evenadhesive). As shown, deck 500 further includes joists 540 ₁-540 _(N)that are positioned substantially perpendicular to ledger board 550 inorder to maintain board 530 substantially horizontal. According to oneembodiment of the invention, board 530 is positioned below base section620 of flashing 510 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a first illustrative embodiment of flashing 510is shown. Herein, flashing 510 comprises insertion lip 600 that ispositioned within groove 560 placed along outer surface 570 of exteriorwall 520. Similar to as described above, insertion lip 600 may beconfigured to range in length between ¼″ to ¾″, with the lengthincreasing based on the roughness of outer surface 570. Insertion lip600 is continuous with and substantially perpendicular to a firstflashing section 610 (hereinafter referred to as the “support section”610).

Support section 610 of flashing 510 extends vertically upward and ispositioned to be generally flush against outer surface 570 of exteriorwall 520 when insertion lip 600 is inserted into and securely retainedwithin groove 560. According to one embodiment of the invention, thelength of support section 610 is set to be approximately 1.5 inches(1.5″) above top surface 535 of board 530 in order to accommodate atypical distance between an outer edge of a sole plate of a circular sawand the saw blade used to kerf groove 560 along outer surface 570 ofexterior wall 520.

A second flashing segment (hereinafter referred to as the “base section”620) is continuous with and substantially perpendicular to supportsection 610 of flashing 510. Base section 620 is arranged generallyflush against top surface 535 of board 530 and extending in width toexceed the width of top surface 555 of ledger board 550. For instance,base section 620 may be 1.75″ or greater in length, exceeding the widthof top surface 535 of ledger board 550. This allows water to be divertedaway from ledger board 550 and fastening hardware interconnecting ajoist 540 _(i) (2≦i≦N) to ledger board 550.

Referring to FIG. 7, a second embodiment of flashing 510 is shown.Herein, base section 620 of flashing 510 is angled in order to allowwater to be more easily expelled from outer surface 570 of exterior wall520. The sloping angle φ 700 of base section 620 can be set toapproximately 1 or 2 degrees, namely slope angle 700 could be based on aslope gradient ranging between ⅛″ per foot to ⅜″ per foot. It iscontemplated, however, that greater sloping angles may be utilized inorder to accommodate better moisture removal from outer surface 570 ofexterior wall 520. In addition, an air gap 710 between an inner surface625 of base section 620 of flashing 510 and top surface 535 of board 530allows air circulation which keeps board 530 drier. A drier board 530better maintains its integrity of desk 500.

As shown, after base section 620 comes into contact with board 530, aportion 627 of base section 620 continues along board 530 for somelength. For instance, the length of portion 627 may be a faction of aninch for example.

Referring now to FIG. 8, another illustrative embodiment of flashing 510is shown. In lieu of straight edges formed betweenperpendicular-oriented support/base sections 610 and 620 and portions ofbase section 620, it is contemplated that flashing 510 may be configuredwith a bull-nose design. This bull-nose design features a softened,generally concave edge 800 at an intersection between support/basesections 610 and 620 and a generally concave edge 810 at an intersectionbetween a first portion 626 and second portion 627 of base section 620.According to one embodiment of the invention, the bend radiuses are ¼″or ⅜″ in length.

C. Bay Window Flashing

Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, an illustrative embodiment of a flashing900 being used for new or retrofit installation of wall-to-bay windowflashings is shown. Flashing 900 are used to prevent moisture intrusion,namely water escaping from behind flashing 900 and to a bay windowconnection 905 with an exterior wall 920. Flashing 900 is intended tohave roofing material applied over the lower part, namely a base section940. No drip edge is required.

An insertion lip 910 and support section 930 of flashing 900 are similarin construction to insertion lips 200/600 and support sections 210/610of flashing 110 and 510, respectively. However, the length and slopingangle (Δ) of base section 940 is substantially greater to connect to atop surface 950 of the roof of the bay window.

D. Method of Flashing Installation

Referring now to FIG. 10, an illustrative embodiment of the operationsfor installation of flashing for a deck or patio cover using a ledgerboard is shown. First, the ledger board is positioned and fastened tothe exterior surface of a wall (block 1000). Such attachment may be madethrough any fastening mechanism, including screws that are drilledthrough the ledger board and into studs located on the opposite side ofthe exterior wall. Thereafter, a circular saw is used to kerf thesurface of the exterior wall approximately 1½ inches from the topsurface of the ledger board (block 1010). This is accomplished byorienting the circular saw in such a fashion that the edge of the soleplate of the circular saw and the circular saw itself are approximately1½ inches apart. Thereafter, the groove created by the circular saw isfilled with an epoxy or caulk, and thereafter the insertion lip isinserted into the groove so as to securely fasten the flashing to theexterior wall (blocks 1020 and 1030). Such insertion may involveplacement of the insertion lip toward the upper edge of the groove, andonce inserted into the groove, lowering the insertion lip toward a lowerside of the groove. As a result, the adhesive properties between thecaulk and the insertion lip are reinforced. Thereafter, the flashing issecured to and extends over the ledger board to create a gap between thefront surface of the ledger board and an interior surface of theflashing.

It will be evident that various modifications and changes may be madethereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of thepresent invention as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, thespecification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in anillustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

1. A flashing adapted for installation to protect a ledger board fromenvironmental conditions, the flashing comprising: an insertion lip; asupport section coupled to the insertion lip; a base section coupled tothe support section, the base section being substantially in parallelwith the insertion lip; and an extension section coupled to the basesection, the extension section including a first part and a drip edgeincluding a kick extending away from the first part and a hem extendingfrom an edge portion of the kick back toward a rear surface of theextension section.
 2. The flashing of claim 1 wherein the base sectionis downwardly angled from a first intersection between the supportsection and the base section to a second intersection between the basesection and the extension section.
 3. The flashing of claim 1 whereinthe base section is situated on and flush against a top surface of theledger board.
 4. The flashing of claim 3, wherein a width of the basesection is greater than a width of the ledger board so that the basesection extends beyond the top surface of the ledger board.
 5. Theflashing of claim 2, wherein the first intersection and the secondintersection are bull-nosed.
 6. The flashing of claim 3, wherein theinsertion lip is one and one-half inches from the top surface of theledger board.
 7. The flashing of claim 1 wherein the base sectionincludes a predetermined curvature so as to the base section angularlyextends over the top surface of the ledger board and contacts a frontcorner edge proximate to a front surface of the ledger board.
 8. Theflashing of claim 1 being made of a continuous piece of metal.
 9. Aflashing adapted for attachment to a ledger board that is attached to awall of a structure, the flashing comprising: a support section; a basesection coupled to the support section and extending from an areaproximate to the wall of the structure beyond a width of the ledgerboard; and an insertion lip coupled to and perpendicular with thesupport section, the insertion lip being positioned one and one-halfinches above the base section for attachment to a grooved section of thewall.
 10. The flashing of claim 9 wherein the base section issubstantially perpendicular to the support section and in parallel withthe insertion lip.
 11. The flashing of claim 9 wherein the supportsection is positioned to be flush against the wall of the structure. 12.The flashing of claim 9 wherein the base section is oriented to bedownward sloping to create a gap between the flashing and a deck board.13. The flashing of claim 9 further comprising an extension sectioncoupled to the base section, the extension section including a firstpart and a drip edge including a first portion extending at an anglefrom the first part and a hem extending from an edge of the firstportion and curving back toward a rear surface of the extension section.14. The flashing of claim 9 being made of a continuous piece of metal.15. A metal flashing adapted for installation to protect a ledger boardfrom environmental conditions, the flashing comprising: an insertion liporiented horizontally; a support section coupled to the insertion lipand substantially perpendicular to the insertion lip; a base sectioncoupled to the support section and substantially in parallel with theinsertion lip; an extension section coupled to the base section, theextension section including a drip edge that includes a first portionextending away from the support section and a curved second portionextending from an edge of the first portion and returning toward a rearsurface of the second portion.
 16. The flashing of claim 15 wherein thebase section is downwardly from a first intersection between the supportsection and the base section to a second intersection between the basesection and the extension section.
 17. The flashing of claim 15 whereinthe base section is placed on and flush against a top surface of theledger board.
 18. The flashing of claim 17, wherein a width of the basesection is greater than a width of the ledger board so that the basesection extends beyond the top surface of the ledger board.
 19. Theflashing of claim 17, wherein the insertion lip is one and one-halfinches from the top surface of the ledger board.
 20. The flashing ofclaim 17 wherein the base section includes a predetermined curvature soas to the base section angularly extends over the top surface of theledger board and contacts a front corner edge proximate to a frontsurface of the ledger board.